Generally speaking, the guys here at XYYZ are not fans of big budget musicals. We’ll leave theatre-district productions like Mama Mia and Les Miserables to the tourists from Saskatoon, or the in-laws in from London.
But we made an exception for We Will Rock You, Ed Mirvish’s swan song production. It’s almost like going to a Queen concert, except there are heaps of glow sticks instead of lighters, and the smell of cologne instead of weed. Galileo and Scaramouche lead the cast of Bohemians through a rhapsody of hits made famous by Freddy and the boys in Queen.
The storyline for the musical takes place 300 years in the future, and follows the escapades of a multitude of rebellious youth who forge battles against the Corporation, who have banned all live music on earth. The all-Canadian cast puts on a terrific performance, never missing an opportunity to toss in a Queen inspired one-liner or Canadian reference.
Alana Bridgewater is stunningly mesmerizing as the Killer Queen character, reminiscent of Tommy’s Acid Queen. The remaining cast is dressed to emulate a new wave vibe each named after pop stars from the 80’s to today, including Madonna, Boy George and Britney Spears.
Queen-sters Brian May and Roger Taylor worked directly as music supervisors, while Brit script-writer extraordinaire Ben Elton wrote and directed. Impress your date by having pre-theatre dinner at the nearby Superior Restaurant, 253 Yonge Street – a old-school family tradition since the 1920’s.
Nightly performances at the Canon Theatre until September 30th, 244 Victoria Street. Tickets starting at $25.00 available at the box office or online at www.mirvish.com, or via Ticket King at (416) 872-1212.
